Recently
Scott Murray had a chance to sit down and discuss the Duang
Prateep Foundation with its founder Khun Prateep
Unsongtham Hata. Married to a Japanese social worker Tatsuya Hata, Khun
Prateep, aged 47, is a recipient of the prestigious Magsaysay and Rockefeller
Awards, and she has two boys - Isara (meaning "freedom") aged
eleven and Mingboon aged seven.

Interview with
Khun Prateep

Text and
Photographs by

Khun
Prateep

Can you tell us a little about your background, and how and why you
have become so involved in social welfare?

When I look back I wonder how we have been able to accomplish all the things
we have done at the Foundation. I never thought that I would be able to
help poor people the way that I have.

In the beginning I just wanted to improve my own education. When I was young
I wanted to go to school, but my family was so poor, that my parents couldn't
afford to send all us to school. My elder brother and sister attended a
higher level of schooling than me, but unfortunately I couldn't go on. My
mother worked as a cook for about Bt300 a month (this was about 3 decades
ago).

After school I had to go work in a factory wrapping firecrackers. Everyday
on the way to and from school I saw my other friends who did not live in
the slums wearing school uniforms, and playing, and I guess I wondered why
I was so unlucky, and why I didn't have the chance to further my education,
and why I had to work at such an early age, and why I didn't have nice things.

When I entered the factory I was so surprised to see so many children of
my own age all around ten, eleven, or twelve years old. It wasn't fair to
see many kids working so hard at such a young age when they should have
been outside just having fun being kids.

What about your family?

My father came from China, and my mother from Samut Songkran here in Thailand.
My father was a traditional basketweaver who had fled China during the fighting
between the Kuomingtang and Mao-Tse Tung's forces. He worked in Samut Songkran
as a fisherman, which is where he met my mother, but a number of typhoons
caused him to become seriously in debt so he had to come to Bangkok. He
worked at a lot of jobs including raising pigs and chickens, and we moved
many times, until he once again started working as a traditional basketweaver.

I have three brothers and three sisters. When I was born I was number six
in the family, but as one of my brothers died I am now number five. One
of older sisters, Khong Prakhong, runs our "New Life Project."
It takes care of the children who become drug addicts and it is a very difficult
program to administer.

What about your goals and aims?

I just try my best. Poor people cannot afford to look too far into the future.
I am not a good planner but I have always had a dream. I have always wanted
to give education to poor children, and I want to give them a better society
to live in, so I have to find ways to make this dream come true, and I also
want to try and make people be kinder to each other.

Although education is supposed to be free in this country it is still very
expensive for poor people who have to buy all their children's books, uniforms
etc. This is something that many of them cannot do.

The Foundation's aims are to provide further education, development, and
welfare support for poor people as well as to try and change the government's
policy towards poor people. The government structure and political systems
are not sympathetic to the plight of the poor, and that is something I want
to change.

We have come along way with educating children in the slums though. The
government now gives poor children an education even if they do have a birth
certificate or house registration, which they previously didn't do.

One major short-term plan is for more people in the slum to participate
in the credit union and for them to become financially self-reliant. It
is important that people here have their own financial plans for their community.

It is also important for us to improve the quality of housing for people
in Klong Toey, so that we can improve the quality of their lives as well.
People should take care of themselves and their community. It is important
that people not just think of themselves, but their community at large.

Who or what have been your biggest influences?

My parents obviously were a tremendous influence, and Khun Udom Yenladee,
a trustee of the Foundation, and Khun Nongyao Noolamit have also been very
big influences for me. I also read many books, and of course my staff has
always been very supportive, caring and understanding.

Would
you comment on your relationship with the Port Authority?

The Port Authority is a power on to itself, and it really ignores the government.
They think that we here at the Foundation are turning the people against
them. I am a target because I have always sided with the poor people who
have been continually taken advantage of for years and years. When we try
to change things to help the poor people some say we are not asking for
much, while others say we are asking for too much.

People think you just work with the poor in Klong Toey but
you are also do a lot of work with people upcountry, is that correct?

Yes, although we work with about 100,000 in and around the Klong Toey slum
we also help about 10,000 people in villages in Chumpon, Kanchanaburi, Korat
and other village areas with our "New Life Project."

We work in the villages where I have observed the viscous cycle of poverty
that poor people are trapped in. In the villages people have very little
chance to get ahead. Poor people do not own their land, they have to rent
it - they have to rent everything really. They also have no control over
the prices of their products as manufacturers do who can write off labor
costs, material costs, advertising costs etc. The farmer cannot tell the
buyer that they want x amount of baht for their produce.

Schools for children are also very basic in the poor areas, and water usually
has to be dragged a long distance to people's homes, and very few of the
homes have electricity.

The farmers should be more self-reliant and taught which fertilizers and
pesticides to use, and which not to use. They also need to learn about crop
rotation, and the government should encourage zoning, and guarantee crop
prices as well. It is important that the farmers are taught to reduce their
costs, and taught to maybe start looking for another source of income, so
that they are not just dependent on the crops if they have a bad yield.

Can you tell us some of the people that you admire?

Well, of course everyone knows Khun Anand Panyarachun, and respects and
admires him. Khun Chodchoy is another. She is very rich and she doesn't
have to do all the good work she does. I also admire Khunyings Jantanee
Santaboot and Jintana Yodsoonthon. I admire Ajarn Sulak, the social critic,
because his criticism is very good for Thai society. I also respect the
labor leader Somsak Kosias, and Dr Sant Hatthirat, and Dr Weng Tojirakarn
for their good works.

What are some of your major concerns right now?

I worry about the future of society. There are so many broken families where
children are not receiving the proper care and love that they need. Forty
percent of the children in our center do not live with their real parents.
Unless they get the proper love they require we will have a real mess on
our hands when they get older. It is very important that Thai families get
stronger. It is also essential that the government provide assistance to
families in need i.e when one of the family members becomes handicapped.

Looking back now what were your thoughts on winning the Magsaysay
Award?

Surprisingly, I had mixed feelings about the award as some people were jealous
and I didn't want to make enemies at that time. I just wanted to work, and
I didn't want to make anyone unhappy. The money was nice though (US$20,000).
Back then I could have bought four townhouses if I had wanted to.

What about the claims that some of your funding has been channeled
into helping political parties or candidates you support?

It's not true, and anyone is welcome to come and check examine our records.

Would you please sum up the purpose of the Duang Prateep Foundation?

We work for poor children, and to try give poor people a better life in
both the urban and rural areas.

What about you?

I have done so many things. I am satisfied with my life because I have done
enough. I am not as concerned about what people say about me anymore. (As
Khun Prateep is so approachable the press tend to zero in on her at public
gatherings and she tends to inadvertently be thrust into the role of a political
spokesperson).

Ed note:Khun Prateep
is now a Thai Senator, a remarkable accomplishment considering this is a
position usually accessible only to the rich and privileged.

Ed Note: Khun Prateep was a recepient of this year's World Children's Prize for the Rights of Children (WCPCR), which is sponsored by Swedish Queen Silvia, Sweden PM Goran Persson, Nelson Mandela and East Timor Presient Xanana Gusmao.